Bible in a Year March 9: Joshua 8:24 – 11:9

 

March 9: Joshua 8:24 – 11:9

Another day of hard reading.

After messing up and making a treaty with the Gibeonites, the Israelites seemed to learn their lesson and always inquired of the Lord before taking action. It’s actually kind of amazing that God didn’t punish them for that act of disobedience – perhaps because they were deceived.

I know the Israelites did as they were told, and earlier we read that God was eradicating all the people of the land because of their despicable practices, but I have to wonder what effect all the killing had on the Israelite soldiers. Especially when they killed women, children, and animals.

Why would God have them hamstring the horses and burn the chariots? Couldn’t they use them in future battles? There are a few reasons suggested in various commentaries. First, cutting the hamstring of a horse causes it to be ineffective for military use or other useful work. This would prevent an enemy to use them against the Israelites in the future. Another suggestion was that the Israelites were not trained to use horse and chariots, so it was easier to destroy them than take the time to become proficient. A third reason, and perhaps the best, was that without this type of help in battle the Israelites would learn to depend on the Lord and give him credit for their success.

Suffice it to say that the first months in the Promised Land were full of messy battles. Why do you think God made the Israelites fight for the land instead of just wiping out the populations with disease or having the other people groups just fight each other?

TOMORROW’S TEXT: Joshua 11:10 – 14:15

Bible in a Year March 8: Joshua 5:1 - 8:23

 

March 8: Joshua 5:1 - 8:23

Once the Israelites had crossed, the God’s first request for obedience was to “circumcise the sons of Israel a second time”.   The Israelites did not practice circumcision while in the desert, so this was a ‘second’ circumcision on the whole group to bring everyone into the covenant originally established with Abraham. That caused me to wonder why they didn’t do it before crossing the river, since there were efforts on the eastern side of the Jordan to consecrate themselves before crossing.

The group then celebrated Passover, another matching ‘bookend’ to the desert trip. The next day the Israelites ate food from the land, and the manna stopped. From this point on they ate what they harvested.

The passage moves quickly from this point as the Israelites are told the plan for taking Jericho. I can only imagine the looks on the faces of the warriors as Joshua told them what they were to do! Encyclopedias state that Jericho was about 10 acres in size, so at most it was about a quarter mile walk around it. It is reported that the walls were about 13 feet high, and approximately 2000 people lived in the city. It is one of the oldest cities in the world, and is also one of the lowest at 846 feet below sea level!

Unfortunately one man kept some of the plunder, and the Israelites suffered a loss because of it. It is hard to understand why his entire family had to suffer stoning because of his sin, but again we have to trust God and his commands. When you read the words God said to Joshua as he lay in front of the Ark praying (v 7:10), how did you portray God’s attitude? Patient, frustrated, angry, or something else?

TOMORROW’S TEXT: Joshua 8:24 – 11:9

Bible in a Year March 7 Joshua 1:10 – 4:24

 

March 7 Joshua 1:10 – 4:24

Oh, the excitement of the day the Israelites finally get to stand on the land promised to Abram so many years ago!

The Jordan River at the point where it is presumed the Israelites crossed is typically 90 – 100 feet wide and averages 3 – 10 feet deep. Since this was harvest season and the river was flooded, it was most likely much wider and deeper.  To add a bit of reality to this, BiblicalPlaces.com reports that “in 1854 an expert swimmer was unable to make it across the river near Jericho because the river was too wide and the current too strong.”*

I’m sure it took great faith for the Levites who were carrying the Ark of the Covenant to step into the river as it flowed. References state that the Ark of the Covenant probably weighed between 330 pounds and 615 pounds and was carried on poles by four men. That in itself would be awkward even if you weren’t stepping into a flood. But when their feet hit the water, the water backed up (actually some 20 miles away at a town called Adam). Inquiring minds want to know if the flow stopped when the first man stepped in, or did all four have to get wet?

The men stayed in the middle of the river until all the Israelites had crossed. Some estimate there were about 2.5 million people plus cattle that had to cross. If one person crossed per second, that would take about 29 days! But since the river was backed up so far, I’m sure great crowds crossed at once. If a procession of about 100 people wide crossed at a time it would take about 7 hours.

Did the same four men hold the Ark all that time, or did they ‘tap out’ and relieve each other? Oh, why do I care about such useless information? One commentary states that God required the Ark to go first, symbolizing that God was leading the people. And my study Bible says this signified that the Lord himself remained in the position of most danger. As the rest of the community crossed the river, many people got to actually view the Ark, which was usually hidden away in inner sanctum of the Tabernacle or at the head of the procession when they relocated.

I appreciate the symbolism of this journey beginning and ending with a miracle of a dry river crossing. The vast majority of the crowd had only heard stories of the Red Sea crossing, and now they had the opportunity to participate in an identical miracle.

*BiblicalPlaces.com no longer exists. I found this information referenced on Neverthirsty.org.

TOMORROW’S TEXT: Joshua 5:1 - 8:23

Bible in a Year March 6 Dt 32:15 – 34:12; Joshua 1:1-9

 March 6 - Dt 32:15 – 34:12; Joshua 1:1-9

As I finish the book of Deuteronomy I am struck by the severity of punishment God promises if the Israelites disobey. While He is lavish in his rewards for following his law, the backlash for straying is daunting. When Jesus came we, non-Israelites, were given a choice to believe or not. The result of our choices has serious eternal repercussions, but in this world God doesn’t discipline us for not turning to him (other than typical consequences for our own actions). It seems those born in an Israelite family didn’t have the option of choice.

That begs the question, are current day people of Jewish descent who choose not to follow Christ still bound by the original covenant? The New Testament tells us that Jesus is the only way (Jn 14:16), so that presumably nullifies the original covenant for all. There are VERY devout Jews who are doing their best to obey – is it all for naught? And are we, Christians, suffering the results of our disobedience but not realizing that it is God’s wrath? God is loving, but he is also strict.

Oh, I know this is a slippery slope, but it makes me want to jump ahead to the New Testament and do more digging. Dt. 29:29 states “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law.” God will keep some answers secret forever, we just have to trust and obey what we know!

That said, I don’t want to ignore the amazing blessings Moses gave to the tribes in his final speech – oh that all those things would come true for them.

God then calls Moses, at 120 years of age, to trudge up a mountain and look over the whole of the Promised Land before he dies. The word tells us that Moses’ eyesight is still perfect, and it must have been a very clear day for him to see so far (I have no idea how much you or I could see if we stood on top of Mount Nebo today. You can see several pictures of the view from here. )

I can only imagine his deep emotions at that moment.

 

JOSHUA

It’s time! (An aside to anyone old enough to have watched VeggieTales – I can’t type that without singing “We didn’t have a lot of fun in the desert…”.)

After emptying the sand out of their shoes every night for 40 years, the Promised Land is now a reality. The book of Joshua leads us across the Jordan River and through all the efforts to resettle in the land.

There is some disagreement about who wrote this book, when, and when the actual events occurred. You may want to look at the intro to Joshua in your Bible, but in short many believe it was written mostly by Joshua himself and updated a bit by others after his death (perhaps Samuel?) or it was written well into the era of kings. Either way, there are very specific details included and references to writings by Joshua himself, so he most likely kept a good journal of the time.

Centuries after God made the promise to Abram, his descendants are finally entering into the land flowing with milk and honey, and Joshua is the one to lead them in. Joshua is from the tribe of Ephraim and his father ,Nun, is the son of the leader of the tribe. He has been an aide to Moses since his youth. We know he was over 20 years old at the time everyone left Egypt, so I wonder when he and Moses got together. Was he a young man living in Midian who followed Moses back to Egypt? Or was he a slave in Egypt that Moses rescued?

In Ex 17, Joshua leads warriors into battle, so we know he was strong and had some traits of a military commander (although success is attributed entirely to Yahweh). He alone went with Moses up Mount Sinai for 40 days and nights – we know he is up there when he mistakenly thinks there is a battle below (Ex32).

There are two verses that are considered key – Joshua 1:6-9 and Joshua 24:14-15. These essentially begin and end the book.

I look forward to learning from his devotion and leadership.

TOMORROW’S TEXT: Joshua 1:10 – 4:24

Bible in a Year March 5 Dt 29:1 - 32:14

 

March 5 Dt 29:1 - 32:14

Our last full day of Deuteronomy! We’ve almost made it!

I was surprised when I saw how many verses I had underlined or highlighted in today’s reading already. I’m not sure if I marked them during sermons or as I read this section at other times. There is a lot of encouragement and lots of warning. While these verses were written specifically for the Israelites and the first covenant, they also can be applied to us today if we look at the New Testament covenant instead of the OT one.

Verse29:19 warns against thinking it’s ok to do whatever we want because we are covered by a covenant. Just because we have the salvation of the covenant doesn’t mean we can live like we don’t! But there is a lot of encouragement throughout, 30:11 reminds us that obedience is not too difficult or beyond our reach, and several times we are told to be strong and courageous. And one of God’s best promises is in verse 31:8.

“The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”

I can imagine it broke Moses’ heart to hear that the Israelites would indeed become corrupt and suffer disastrous results because of it.

TOMORROW’S TEXT: Dt 32:15 – 34:12; Joshua 1:1-9

Bible in a Year March 4: Dt. 27:11 – 28:68

 

March 4: Dt. 27:11 – 28:68

Oh, my. If the Israelites would have posted the words of the curses for disobedience on their walls I can’t imagine they would have ever turned their backs on God! It was hard to really focus on all these curses, they were so intense.  I imagine Satan worming his way among the crowd hissing, “God wouldn’t really do THAT…would he?”

And yet it didn’t take long…

TOMORROW’S TEXT: Dt. Dt 29:1 - 32:14

Bible in a Year March 3 Dt. 23:15 – 27:10

 

March 3 Dt. 23:15 – 27:10

It’s a shame that Christians in the early days of America didn’t all abide by Deut 23:15. Our history might have been very different.

Wow – newly married men were given a year to “bring happiness to their wives”! They couldn’t be sent to war or have other duties put upon them. Wouldn’t that be cool?

Have you noticed the number of times God mentions taking care of widows and orphans? In today’s text he also mentions the alien/foreigner. I looked it up and the words ‘widow and orphan’ are mentioned together 30 times! Ten of those times the alien is mentioned, too. God has really emphasized our responsibility to help others. In our world, I would presume that many (not all) single parents should be considered ‘widows’. How can you help someone out today?

When the Israelites finally cross the Jordan, did you notice that they are to write the words of the law on stones? I’m presuming those have never been found. What words, do you think, did they have to write? Just the laws of Leviticus? All of the Pentateuch?

TOMORROW’S TEXT: Dt. 27:11 – 28:68

Bible in a Year March 2: Dt. 20:1-23:14

 

March 2: Dt. 20:1-23:14

Verse 21:15 talks about a man having two wives. I started wondering when God stated that one wife was all a man should have. When looking at different resources I found two interpretations of this verse. Some said that monogamy was always the desired state since Genesis 2:20 - 24, but not always practiced. The first mention of two wives was in Gen 4:19, when Lamech (great-great-great grandson of Cain) married two women, and of course we know about Jacob.

Other commentaries stated that the original text stated “if a man have had” two wives, insinuating that the first one had died. This would then be giving inheritance rights to the firstborn son, even if the first wife wasn’t (or was no longer) loved most.

The only place the Bible uses the term “one wife” is when referring to deacons and overseers in 1 Tim and Titus.

When I got to the next paragraph I was slightly horrified – stoning a son because he was stubborn and rebellious? I can’t imagine ANY teenage boy (or girl for that matter) would make it past age 17 these days! But obviously this had to be a case of significant rebellion. I can’t imagine wanting to have my child put to death because of disobedience. The word ‘evil’ occurs in the passage; perhaps it was significantly egregious behavior.

From here there are several seemingly random laws, and several dealing with pre-marital relations/rape. Lots could be said about all of them; feel free to comment on any that seem interesting to you.

One final item I saw – v 23:3 states that no Ammonite or Moabite may enter the assembly of the Lord. As we’ll see later, Ruth was a Moabite. But I guess women weren’t allowed in the assembly anyway so that doesn’t necessarily apply.

TOMORROW’S TEXT: Dt. 23:15 – 27:10

Bible in a Year March 1 - Dt. 16:9 – 19:21

 

March 1 - Dt. 16:9 – 19:21

While many of the holy days God established required serious reflection and worship, he orders the Israelites to be glad and rejoice during the Feast of Tabernacles, stating that their joy would be complete at the end of their harvest. This was to be an all-out celebration!

Things then take a more serious tone. Twice in our reading today God mentions that they must purge all evil from Israel by stoning those who either show contempt for a judge or priest and for those who shed innocent blood. The reasoning is so that all people will hear and be afraid so they won’t do those things again. While I am NOT a supporter of stoning or instant repercussions, I think we could use a little fear in our system these days – there is far too much innocent blood spilled daily.

I found it interesting that God demanded that future kings copy the law themselves and read it daily. I have to wonder if Saul did that – or any king for that matter. While at that time the law was just a portion of our current Bible (maybe was only Leviticus?), how different our world might be if our leaders would do the same!

TOMORROW’S TEXT: Dt. 20:1-23:14

Bible in a Year - February 29

 Today is catch up day! February 29 only comes around every four years, so go out and celebrate!

Bible in a Year Feb 28 - Dt. 13: 1-16:8

 

Feb 28 - Dt. 13: 1-16:8

Verse 13:3 indicates that God will be testing the Israelites by allowing prophets and fortune tellers to try to persuade them to worship other Gods. Those prophets or ‘dreamers’ must be put to death. I wonder what our world would look like, what our religions would look like, if that command were followed today? I also wonder how much more faithful I would be if I looked at every temptation as if it were a test from God (although we are told that God himself will not tempt us, that is different  – see James  1:13).

I smiled when I read 13:6 where it says, ‘or the wife you love’. Most everything I’ve heard about those days seemed to involve arranged marriages and didn’t necessarily focus on a love relationship between spouses. I like that it is specifically added here!

Why would God have the people destroy the livestock of those who worshipped other gods? I can understand how the people could influence them to turn away, but what do you think might have been the reason for killing the animals (a.k.a. food)?

The text about servants who decided to stay with a family after the seventh year made me cringe. Truthfully I’d have to think long and hard about my choice if they were going to nail me to a door if I chose to stay!

We’ve made it through TWO MONTHS of Bible reading! Good job!

TOMORROW’S TEXT: Dt. 16:9 – 19:21

Bible in a Year Feb 27 - Dt. 9:22 – 12:32

 

Feb 27 - Dt. 9:22 – 12:32

In multiple places throughout the text (not just today’s reading), Moses says about the law, “Do not add to it or take away from it” (NIV).  According to various commentaries, this command was important for two reasons. First, God himself has given these commandments and He will not tolerate human revisions. Second, it indicates that the work, the law, is complete as it is stated. Over the generations, we see that the Pharisees definitely added to it (I doubt they took anything away). From what I understand they justified this by saying they were ‘clarifying’ the rules, not adding to them. Some of those clarifications were incredibly restrictive by the time Jesus came!

Moses also introduces the concept that some things will change once they cross the Jordan. The means and location of sacrifices will become very specific. People will have to travel to give their offerings, but there are some arrangements to make this a little easier for those who live far away.

Again there is quite a bit of warning to continue to love the Lord and obey his commands. I particularly liked verses 10:12 – 10:22.

TOMORROW’S TEXT: Dt. 13: 1-16:8

Bible in a Year Feb 26: Dt 6:16-9:21

 

Feb 26: Dt 6:16-9:21

Really? Today’s text begins AND ends in the middle of a paragraph (in my Bible). I hate that!!

Moses is truly lecturing the Israelites as if they were children, reminding them over and over again to obey God’s commands because God is good. They have seen wonderful miracles, have travelled without wear and tear to their clothes or bodies, and will soon be accepting a land fully built up and farmed without having to do the work.

But there are so many temptations – to collect gold and silver from idols, to intermingle with other cultures, and to presume they are obtaining all this because they are worthy.

While we often feel stretched financially these days, we live incredibly easy lives compared to many on our planet. How do you avoid becoming complacent or prideful that you have attained what you own by your efforts alone?

TOMORROW’S TEXT: Dt. 9:22 – 12:32

Bible in a Year Feb 25- Dt. 4:1 – 6:15

 

Feb 25- Dt. 4:1 – 6:15

There are so many verses in today’s text that offer wisdom and advice for being a follower of God! I found several that I have underlined at previous times and more that I marked today.

What was your favorite verse from today’s reading? Why?

Mine is Dt. 4:29-31. This is true for both Jewish and Christian readers and provides both hope and instruction for tough days.

TOMORROW’S TEXT: Dt 6:16-9:21

Bible in a Year Feb 24: Deuteronomy 1:16 – 3:29

 

Feb 24: Deuteronomy 1:16 – 3:29

Deuteronomy

We are in the final book of the Pentateuch! You are doing a fabulous job – stick with it.

‘Deuteronomy’ means ‘repetition of the law’. I know – that sounds like such an exciting book to read, especially if you struggled with the FIRST reading of the law! But we can do this – it’s only eleven days –and I’m sure there are some pearls of wisdom we will learn along the way.

Moses is proclaimed to be the author by almost all scholars, however we know someone else probably wrote the preamble and obviously the part after Moses dies. There are over 100 references to Deuteronomy in the New Testament, including quotations Jesus used.

This is considered Moses’ farewell address, and it’s believed this is  a series of ‘sermons’ he gave over the course of several days, knowing he would soon be going to his death. It is essentially al covenant renewal and is full of the love relationship between God and His people. Overall it is a call to commitment and obedience.

The key verses are probably Dt 6:4-7 “⁴ Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.⁵ Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. ⁶ These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. ⁷ Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.”

Moses is now an old man (about 120 years old), and he is remembering the journey the Israelites have been on. However, it seems to me his memory is fading a bit! Did you notice the way he’s changed the story?

Verse 19 is the only time I’ve seen any reference to the difficulty of the journey when he refers to the ‘vast and dreadful desert’. But then he talks to the new generation of Israelites as if they were the original travelers. In 1:22 he blames them for wanting to send out spies to investigate the Promised Land, yet Numbers 13:1-3 states it was God’s command. God selected the 12 men to go, not Moses.

A little later, in 1:37, Moses blames the Israelites for keeping him from seeing the Promised Land. Hmmm, that’s not how Numbers 20:9-13 tells it! Even later in our text, Dt 3:26, Moses refuses to take responsibility for his rash actions. He has begged God to let him step foot in the land, but God stands firm. He does, however, allow Moses to view it from the top of a mountain.

With these inconsistencies, does it mean that we can’t trust the Bible? Of course not! How many times do we see others remember things incorrectly after just a few days, much less 40 years (of course, we ourselves NEVER do that…). Honestly, I think this gives more credibility to the Bible. These words most likely came from a journal Moses kept and were recorded just as he wrote them instead of being corrected to ensure absolute consistency.

The little historical references that interrupt his speech are interesting, too, and add a lot of validity to the story. The items he mentions can be validated archaeologically when artifacts exist. My favorite reference, though, is to the size of King Og’s bed!

Oh, wouldn’t it be amazing to read his journal?

TOMORROW’S TEXT: Dt. 4:1 – 6:15

Bible in a Year Feb 23: Numbers 34 – 36, Deuteronomy 1:1-15

 

Feb 23: Numbers 34 – 36, Deuteronomy 1:1-15

As we finish out Numbers, God commands the people to establish Promised Land boundaries for the Israelites and allows them to subdivide it for each tribe. Again God names the participants on the committee to divide the land by name. The tribes of Reuben and Gad are left out because they already have land on the east of the Jordan. A portion of the tribe of Manasseh also stayed, but the remaining group participated in the division exercise. Having attended meetings that lasted for torturous hours over much less significant decisions, I can’t imagine how long and difficult those meetings must have been as they decided where each tribe should live!

The information about sanctuary cities is interesting to me. I guess the culture of the day was to get retribution immediately if someone was killed, regardless of intent! God institutes the requirement for more than one witness and provides a safe place in the event the death was an accident. Unfortunately, however, it seems the person who accidentally killed someone else was then required to spend quite a bit of time away from home – they had to remain in the sanctuary city until the death of the high priest.  As long as people lived back then I imagine that could be along time. Were the families of the accused also welcome?

At first I felt sorry for the daughters of Zelophehad for having to marry within their tribe. What a limitation! However, with 52,700 men of fighting age I imagine they didn’t have too much trouble finding someone to love.

Is anyone else frustrated by the places this Bible reading plan ends on a daily basis? Some days it’s impossible to stop reading at the ending point!

TOMORROW’S TEXT: Deuteronomy 1:16 – 3:29

Bible in a Year Feb 22: Numbers 31:48 – 33:56

 

Feb 22: Numbers 31:48 – 33:56

I wonder what the other tribes thought of the plans of the tribes of Benjamin and Gad to forsake the Promised Land and settle in the area where they were currently staying? Moses obviously was worried that God would smite them and cause the Israelites to wander in the desert forever. Did the other tribes wish they had thought of the idea? It sounds like it took quite a bit of work for this area to be built up appropriately but we have no idea how much time passed.

The listing of areas the Israelites traveled is incredible. There are some 35 places listed, and I’m sure there were times of multiple days travel between them. The historian in me loves that each was documented so we can chart their journey.

The elders of the group had been mere teenagers when they left Egypt and probably had little recollection of the tribulations of that time. Everyone under the age of 40 knew only the nomadic life, yet since birth they had heard the stories and held the hope of the end of their journey. I wonder how many knew of the forty year punishment and carefully marked the years waiting for the reward of the Promised Land? After a year or so the life became ‘normal’, with births, weddings, and other celebrations. Games were played, meals were cooked, prayers were said, and songs were sung. Traveling and living in a tent, gathering manna each morning, and watching for the cloud/pillar of fire to move was a way of life. It’s not hard to see why the Benjamites and Gadites were anxious to settle in a place they could see instead of continuing on.

Which group do you think you might have wanted to join?

TOMORROW’S TEXT: Numbers 34 – 36, Deuteronomy 1:1-15

Bible in a Year Feb 21: Numbers 29:1 – 31:47

 

Feb 21: Numbers 29:1 – 31:47

Today’s text continues a list of required offerings and actions for festivals. The three festivals listed, Feast of Trumpets, Day of Atonement, and Feast of Tabernacles all take place in the seventh month of the Jewish calendar, Tishri, which occurs in our September/October timeframe. Out of those 30 days, 9 of them were times of required sacred assembly and no work. On the day of Atonement people were also to deny themselves, which amounted to fasting.  These festivals are still celebrated by the Jewish people today.

The Feast of Trumpets is celebrated as the two day holiday Rosh Hashanah and still involves the blowing of the shofar. The first ten days of the seventh month are seen as days of repentance leading up to Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. This is the holiest day of the year for the Jewish people, a day of prayer and complete fasting – no food or water – and involve lengthy prayer services. The Feast of Tabernacles (or Booths) is called Sukkot, and commemorates the time the Israelites spent in the wilderness.  Full participation in this festival requires people to set up booths or tents and live outside for seven days.

The text ends with vengeance on the Midianites. The five kings of Midian are killed, along with Balaam the seer. There are some hard elements of this battle – although all women and children were originally taken as captives, God required that the boys and all women who weren’t virgins to be killed. I imagine that was difficult for many of the warriors to do. In all, 32,000 women and girls survived and most likely became slaves. All plunder that was captured had to be purified with fire if possible or at least washed with the water of cleansing (remember, that had the ashes of the red heifer in it).

It is hard to imagine the emotions of all players on those days.

TOMORROW’S TEXT: Numbers 31:48 – 33:56

Bible in a Year Feb 20: Numbers 26:35-28:31

 

Feb 20: Numbers 26:35-28:31

Today’s reading starts with the rest of the census. At this point not a single person from the original census (those over the age of 20 at that time) was left except Caleb, Joshua, and Moses of course. That meant that there was no one else over the age of 59! Everyone had spent at least twice as long in the desert as they had in Egypt. Now there were actually a few thousand more men of this age than there was at the beginning!

A couple of items that interested me in the genealogy – the only woman mentioned is Serah, the daughter of Asher (v 26:46). Did no other son of Jacob have a daughter? And of course there is no mention of Dinah. I wonder what influence Serah must have had to be named here? Some speculate that she may have been a prominent ancestor of the Asherite clan because she is mentioned in all the Asherite genealogies (here, Num 26:46, and 1 Chr 7:30).

Did you find it strange that Moses and his family are left completely out of the picture? Exodus 18:4 says that Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, brought the two sons of Moses, Gershom and Eliezer, to join Moses along with his wife Zipporah. We never hear any more about them. Did they stay with Moses in the desert or return with Jethro when he went back home? They don’t feature in the genealogy of the Levites.

There is so much more to be said about today’s reading. Oh, the courage Zelophehad’s daughters must have had! And God goes totally against the culture to give them an inheritance. Moses gets to view the Promised Land from a distance, but will never step foot on it in his lifetime (but wait until we get to the New Testament!) We also see the commissioning of Joshua to succeed Moses.

TOMORROW’S TEXT: Numbers 29:1 – 31:47

Bible in a Year Feb 19: Numbers 24:1 – 26:34

 

Feb 19: Numbers 24:1 – 26:34

So Balaam continues with his prophecies, and when he saw that God was pleased when he blessed the Israelites, he did so again. I imagine this was the only time he got reinforcement for his prophecies other than when he told others what they wanted to hear!

While the Israelites are waiting for permission to pass, it appears that many of the men were seduced by Moabite and Midianite women. This kicked off another huge plague which was stopped by the actions of Phineahas, son of Eleazor the head priest.

Some background – the Moabites are the nation that descended from the son of Lot and his oldest daughter (remember, she seduced him in a cave after Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed). The Midianites hail from the fourth son of Abraham and his second wife, Keturah. Moses’ wife and father-in-law were Midianites.

Then we get into the second census of men who were of fighting age. In general it is hard for me to read through these genealogies and census numbers, so I like to look for interesting facts that are hidden among them. The history of Reuben’s clan again reminds us of the rebellion against Moses, and in the descendants of Judah we are reminded of Er and Onan, Tamar’s first and second husbands. It is also interesting to look for names that show up later in the genealogy of Jesus. Perez (verse 26:20) is listed in both genealogies of Jesus (Mt 1:3 and Lk 3:33).

How far back can you trace your ancestors?

TOMORROW’S TEXT: Numbers 26:35-28:31